Landlord keeping whole of our deposit

Premier_2

mbaz wrote:

No I was never informed of the date of checkout.

I don't understand.
Normally either a tenant gives notice to leave or a LL gives notice to quit.
Did you just walk out without any notice?

mbaz wrote:

Amount probably is right for whole house redecorating but that is her choice to do that. It certainly doesnt need doing as a result of anything we've done.

Prove it. It would be easier if you had that inventory/statement of condition agreed when you started and ended your tenancy.

mbaz

I gave notice on the house and had letter from LA advising me to get keys back by 17 July (agreed departure date) and they would inspect after I moved out but they never invited me to attend this or advised of date. With hindsight just wish I'd attended this.

No I dont have any quotes or receipts from the LA just an email that says:

Carpet cleaning - £95 + VAT = £111.63
Replacement towel rail in downstairs WC - £45
Cost to replace broken plug socket in bedroom - £45
Total cost to redecorate - £2200.00
Cost for cleaning - £245 + VAT = £287.88

I have asked for the quotes so I can work out exactly what redecorating she is doing as only a small portion of this will be covering up the few marks that we left. I dont mind paying for the other things although the towel rail and plug sockets must be made of gold or something!!!
I also think the cleaning cost is excessive given that we did clean the whole place and there was only a few bits we missed but I suppose if thats the going rate again I can see how that would be down to us. All in all I think it would be fair to deduct £450 and give us £400 back at the very least

mbaz

Premier wrote: »

Prove it. It would be easier if you had that inventory/statement of condition agreed when you started and ended your tenancy.

I do have the proof as I videoed the house. My question is where do I go to proove it? LA? LL? council? Court? or is there a set procedure to follow?

Premier_2

mbaz wrote: »

I do have the proof as I videoed the house. My question is where do I go to proove it? LA? LL? council? Court? or is there a set procedure to follow?

Start with the LA

If they don't agree, then the county court is the place to file a claim. The claim should be against the LL as he is ultimately responsible for the return of the deposit. (so make sure he is aware and gets a notice before legal action before any legal claim is filed)


Btw, how can you prove when the video was taken? Hopefully you have sent it somewhere so that it is datemarked.

Is the video of good enough quality do highlight the scuffmarks? Or are you denying there were any scuffmarks whatsoever?

I do think cost to redecorate completely is somewhat OTT. Unless you trashed the joint, I'm not sure I'd believe evey room needed redecorating. Even if it does, part of the property would probably have needed doing after 3 years anyway (fair wear & tear) so she shouldn't be charging you the total amount.

Towel rail seems a little expensive too (but I don't know the description). The cost would include someone fitting it probably, but still seems expensive.

The replacement electrical socket would be about the right price - that's how much a sparky would charge to replace one.

mbaz

Premier wrote: »

Start with the LA

If they don't agree, then the county court is the place to file a claim. The claim should be against the LL as he is ultimately responsible for the return of the deposit. (so make sure he is aware and gets a notice before legal action before any legal claim is filed)


Btw, how can you prove when the video was taken? Hopefully you have sent it somewhere so that it is datemarked.

Is the video of good enough quality do highlight the scuffmarks? Or are you denying there were any scuffmarks whatsoever?

I do think cost to redecorate completely is somewhat OTT. Unless you trashed the joint, I'm not sure I'd believe evey room needed redecorating. Even if it does, part of the property would probably have needed doing after 3 years anyway (fair wear & tear) so she shouldn't be charging you the total amount.

Towel rail seems a little expensive too (but I don't know the description). The cost would include someone fitting it probably, but still seems expensive.

The replacement electrical socket would be about the right price - that's how much a sparky would charge to replace one.

No video isnt datemarked although there may be date on the film. I'm not sure. I hope it is of good enough quality to highlight what is there. I borrowed a friend's camera and she's putting it onto DVD for me. I will wait for quotes which will hopefully break down redecorating and take it from there. Will keep you posted.

tbs624

prudryden wrote: »

Ummm!! Washing emulsion generally leaves stains and therefore has to be repainted.

??? You can generally wash emulsioned walls with a soft cloth and clean soapy water without necessarily having to repaint - there are specific washable emulsion paints with a higher "scrub resistance" too.

After a 3 year tenancy I would say that most rental properties would be ready for repainting anyway, at the LL's expense. As Lynz says, even if there were some marks caused by a tenant, it does sound like betterment if the LL/LA is suggesting that the whole house should be redone at the tenant's expense.

tbs624

mbaz wrote: »

Replacement towel rail in downstairs WC - £45
Cost to replace broken plug socket in bedroom - £45
....the towel rail and plug sockets must be made of gold or something!!!

Were both these items okay at the start of the tenancy?
Did you know that these 2 items were damaged?
If so, how did the plug socket get damaged, and did you report it to the LA?

The reason I ask is that a LL has to maintain electrical systems in a safe working order However, clearly they can only do this if they are made aware that there is a problem or it is noted a regular inspection, and if a tenant has caused the damage then they would be expected to cover the costs.

turts2008

hmm just left our uni house. £320 deposit each for all 9 of us (9 bedroom house) each of us recieving £75 back!! landlords charge heavily for the labouring of their workers therefore the cost is generally doubled. From our nine month contract, he had recieved the best part of £20,000 from the nine of us. Bit of a joke he decided to take a further £700 from us all in total considering the house had nowhere near that much damage!!

mbaz

tbs624 wrote: »

Were both these items okay at the start of the tenancy?
Did you know that these 2 items were damaged?
If so, how did the plug socket get damaged, and did you report it to the LA?

The reason I ask is that a LL has to maintain electrical systems in a safe working order However, clearly they can only do this if they are made aware that there is a problem or it is noted a regular inspection, and if a tenant has caused the damage then they would be expected to cover the costs.

Hiya The towel rail kept falling off and in the end I left it off and to be honest I have since found it in one of our boxes so guess we have to pay for that although its a little crome thing!

Dont even know what they mean by the broken plug socket! They apparently have photos so have asked for those

mbaz

Got an email address for solicitor who provides free advice through my work. Have emailed the whole sorry tale and await their response!!!